'As compared to heroines today, I could have done better, looked better': Neena Gupta says she had lack of patience, low esteem which ruined her career, doing 'Saath Saath' was a mistake

Neena Gupta has been winning hearts with her films in recent movies like 'Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri' and 'Metro...In Dino'. The actress started her second innings with 'Badhaai Ho' and before that, she had no qualms about even dropping a post on social media where she asked for work. The recognition that she has today, is a lot more than what she had in her younger days. In a recent interview, Neena has revealed that her career would have taken a different turn, if she had not made a mistake.

The actress feels that doing 'Saath Saath' was a mistake she made in her career. Now that success has finally aligned with her talent, Neena admits she often looks back and questions why it took so long. In a conversation with Humans of Bombay, she said, “I keep thinking—what did I do wrong that I got my due so late? I see that, mostly, it has been my fault. But now there’s no point thinking about the past. I have to move on. At my age, I can’t have everything anymore, nor can I play younger roles. Whatever is coming my way now is quite nice. I try not to think too much about why I didn’t get these opportunities when I was younger, when I could have done so much more.”


She was equally frank about the comparisons that cross her mind. “I often think that compared to many heroines today, I could have done a better job and even looked better. These thoughts do come, but what is the point?”

Reflecting on her career with honesty, Neena took responsibility for the choices she made along the way. “It was my fault because I didn’t always have the patience. I looked for the wrong things. Most of the time, I had low self-esteem, and I believe these factors hampered my growth. I also didn’t have anyone to guide me, no godmother or godfather. Eventually, I realised this industry is a business. There’s nothing emotional about it. I didn’t understand the rules or the game.”

When asked if she could identify a turning point, Neena pointed to her very first film, Saath Saath, where she played a supporting role with lead actors Farooque Shaikh and Deepti Naval.

“My biggest mistake was doing Saath Saath. That film took away my chance of being seen as a leading heroine,” she said. “So yes, it’s my fault. And I’ve realised that once you accept it as your mistake, you become less bitter. Otherwise, you keep blaming the world, and that never ends. It’s better to accept your mistakes and move on—that’s the only way forward," she said.


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